Three Negroes Burned at Stake by Mob -- May 15, 2022

St Johnsbury Caledonian-Record, 01-May-1922

Early in the morning of 06-May-1922, a mob of whites dragged three young black men from the jail in Kirvin, Texas. The men had been accused of murdering a white girl. The mob tortured one man with fire until he "confessed" and named his two companions. Then they finished burning him at the stake, and then burned the other two men. 

 THREE NEGROES BURNED AT STAKE BY MOB

Cremation Follows Implication and

Arrest For Assault and Murder of Girl

Body of 17 Year Old White Girl Is

Found With 23 Knife Wounds In

Her Head, Neck and Chest

(By the Associated Press)

KIRVIN, Texas, May 6 -- Three negroes were burned at the stake bere today early in the morning by a mob of 500 men. The act followed their arrest and implication in the criminal assault and murder of 1year-old Eula Awsley, a white girl, whose mutilated body was found near here Thursday night.

Curry, the first negro burned, was taken from the custody of the officer early last night. It was alleged that he confessed to assaulting and murdering the girl, implicating two other's, James Zaney and Mose Jones.

The mob divested the sheriff of his keys to the jail and then unlocked the doors. All three negroes were then rushed to Kirvin. Curry was burned first. Third degree methods failed to bring a confession from the other two. They were then cremated on the strength of Curry's testimony.

The negroes were emploved on the farm of J. T. King, the grandfather of the dead girl.

With the exception of a few shouts and the screams of the condemned men there was little to disturb the early morning quiet of the backwoods community.

Miss Awsley was riding home from school Thursday when she was attacked and ber body was later found by the roadside with knife wounds in her head, neck and chest.